


Forget About Ghosts, Demons are the Fucking Worst - Part 1

by Redjay27



Series: It's Just Me, You, and These Fucking Ghosts [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Established Relationship, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith is a skeptic for the most part, Lance is a mega believer, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Some Fluff, Some Humor, Swearing, oh and there's also a dog, really just a whole lotta everything, some agnst, some spooks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 21:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17650550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redjay27/pseuds/Redjay27
Summary: “Pidge told you where they were going, right? To the woods?” Lance said. “If...If it came down to it, would you go?”“Yeah…” Keith answered, voice quiet. “I would.”Lance didn’t respond. He only tightened his grip on Keith’s hand and let out a shaky breath. It was the kinda breath that Keith could feel in the deepest part of him. The kind that spoke volumes without a word being uttered. It was worry. It was regret. It was fear. It was resignation.But most of all, it was bravery.And while to most, bravery would be a sign of comfort, a sign that maybe everything would turn out okay, to Keith, Lance’s bravery could really only mean one thing.The situation was so much worse than he could ever possibly imagine.~~~OR an AU where your favorite team becomes ghost hunters! Featuring:Keith 'I've got trauma!' KoganeLance 'I hate Carol' McClainPidge 'I'm just here for the food' GundersonAdam 'I didn't ask for this' W.Takashi 'MIA' ShiroganeAllura 'MIA' whatever her last name isHunk 'MIA' GarretandMatt 'I'm here too now and also missing' Holt





	Forget About Ghosts, Demons are the Fucking Worst - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to part 4! It's been a hot second, but I'm back to bring you the next arc for our favorite ghost hunters. I won't take up too much of your time, but I do have some warnings for you:
> 
> 1) As the tags mentioned, PTSD plays a role in this story. So if that's not your jam then you might not want to proceed. And...  
> 2) There's a very brief description of a broken bone. It's not grotesque or anything, but I thought I'd just warn y'all anyway. 
> 
> Okay that's enough from me. I'll see ya at the end!

“How many?”

“Seven.”

“Can you even eat seven?”

“We had that same question. Turns out, no. After about four you start contemplating death.”

“So what’d you do with them?”

“Tried to feed ‘em to the puppy.”

“You mean Kosmo?”

“Please don’t call him that.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to call him?”

Keith let out a tired sigh, leaning back against the armchair he was currently seated in. He’d had the same question thrown at him numerous times over the last few months. “Not my problem.”

“It’s your dog! I’d say if it’s anyone’s problem, it’s yours.” Pidge replied as they plopped down onto the couch across from him.   

Keith looked down at the small husky that stood at his feet, bright blue eyes staring up at him and tail wagging almost too fast for his tiny body to handle. “I don’t understand why he likes me so much. It’s Lance that showers him with affection and all that.” 

Pidge let out a laugh. “You’re the alpha of the house, Keith.”

“Shouldn’t that mean he’s afraid of me or something?” Keith asked, reaching down to pull the tiny dog up onto his lap. The pup let out what Keith could only describe as a happy bark before settling into him, currently content with having a shred of Keith’s attention. 

“No, it means that he cares about your attention more than anyone else’s.” Pidge explained, pulling their legs up onto the couch and leaning against the armrest. 

“Dogs are so complicated…” Keith muttered as he began to scratch behind the husky’s ear. 

“So I take it Lance didn’t like you feeding three whole casseroles to your new puppy.” Pidge said amusedly. 

“He did not.” Keith replied plainly. “He called me a psychopath.” 

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

“So we ended up throwing them away but not before Lance went to each neighbor and thanked them again. It was a whole thing.”

“Small towns, man. They just love confirming stereotypes.” Pidge said with a snicker. 

“Could be worse.” Keith replied with a small shrug. “We could be living in a tiny apartment with barely one working bathroom and paying rent that’s way too high.” 

Pidge shot him a glare. “That’s a low blow.”

“But not untrue.”

“Whatever. I’m barely at home anyways.”  Pidge said, giving him a dismissive wave. 

“I can’t believe you guys are still investigating.” Keith said, shaking his head slightly. “Even after everything that happened at that mansion.”

“Well…” Pidge said slowly, seeming to be contemplating something. “It’s more like we’re still investigating  _ because  _ of what happened at the mansion. There’s some really dangerous stuff out there. It’s probably better that experienced people like us find it before someone gets hurt.” 

“And have you found anything?”

“Nope. It’s been pretty quiet lately. But the place we’re heading to in a couple of days seems fun. Lance would hate it.”

“Lance hates every place that could potentially be haunted.” Keith pointed out, a small smile creasing his lips at the flood of memories that poured into his mind from past investigations. 

“True, true.” Pidge said with a laugh.

There was a silence between them for a moment, Keith’s attention falling back to the dog in his lap who was on the verge of falling asleep. It was Pidge who spoke first.

“Do you ever...miss it? I mean, I know it’s only been a couple of months, but…” They trailed off, eyes looking anywhere but at Keith.

“Mmm...some parts I miss.” Keith replied slowly. “I miss hanging out with the team and visiting new places. I miss having you and Lance tell me that anything and everything is a ghost. I miss watching Shiro try to wrangle us all. I miss…” Keith paused, trying to find the right words. “I miss...who we were before the asylum.” 

“Before you knew ghosts were real.” Pidge said, voice low. 

Keith nodded. “But I wouldn’t take it back.”

“Because of Lance.” Pidge said. It wasn’t a question. 

Keith didn’t respond, gaze falling once more to the tiny body in his lap. He ran his fingers through the husky’s thick fur in a slow, rhythmic pattern, not wanting to wake him. Despite what he had been through, despite what he and Lance had  _ both  _ been through, Keith knew that he was in the right place. And sure, the road had been rough. It had been filled with more trials and tribulations than he could have ever foreseen, but he had made it. And now he was allowed to rest. 

“Where is he, by the way?” Pidge asked, tone much lighter than it had just been. “I feel like every time I’m here he’s missing.” 

“Hmm? Oh, he’s at the rec center.” Keith replied. “There’s some sorta youth game night thing happening. All the kids wanted him to be there and you know him - he can’t say no.”

“He really can’t.” Pidge agreed. “But I bet he likes being there. He always did have a soft spot for kids.”

Keith snorted in amusement. “That’s an understatement. He’s there at least four times a week. Everyone loves him.”

“Are you surprised?”

“Not even a little.” 

“And what about you? Have you become the town cryptid yet?” Pidge asked, a teasing tone to their voice. 

Keith sighed, giving them a dry look. “The opposite actually. Someone’s always knocking at the door.”

“Wanting what from you?”

“Conversation.” Keith said, a bitterness to his voice. 

“How dreadful.” Pidge said sarcastically. “Let me guess, Lance said you can’t just close the door in people’s faces.”

“Something like that.” He grumbled. “I’ve had to learn how to be a good host.” Keith resisted the urge to shudder at the very word. 

Pidge stifled a laugh, eyes shining bright with amusement. “Your worst nightmare!”

“Basically. Lance mentioned to everyone at the center that I’m good in the kitchen and now everyone wants to see the kitchen or taste something I’ve made or exchange recipes.” Keith glared at the floor as he talked, cursing Lance in his head. “And  _ then  _ he took the brownies I made and  _ gave them  _ to the kids at the center. Since then, he always comes back with a request for me to make more.” 

“Wait, hold on, I’m sorry...is it a bad thing that people like your cooking and whatnot?” Pidge asked, somewhat confused. 

Keith sighed again and leaned his head back against the chair cushion. “No...what’s bad is that I actually  _ want  _ to make things. I can’t say no either!” Keith felt the dog stir in his lap at his raised voice and a pang of guilt hit him in the stomach. 

“Oh my god…” Pidge said, sitting up and staring at Keith with wide eyes. “You’ve become...domesticated…”

Keith felt himself physically deflate at the truth of Pidge’s statement. “Awful, isn’t it?” 

“Just the worst.” Pidge replied, shaking their head. “Rest in peace, my friend.” Pidge paused for a moment, eyeing him, and then said, “You wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?”

“Am I that easy to read?”

“No, but I’ve known you for a long time.” Pidge said, a small smile cresting on their face. “You get this weird little look in your eyes when you’re content. And I’m sorry to say, but you’re content as hell with this small-town life.” 

Keith’s response was cut off by a bright beam of light appearing through the window that looked out into the front yard. The beam moved slowly across the floor of the living room, causing the shadows to glide smoothly across the dark hardwood. Moments later, the two heard a car door slam, causing the puppy in Keith’s lap to jump up and scamper towards the door, tail wagging a million miles an hour. 

“Speak of the devil…” Pidge muttered. 

“I’ll bet you ten bucks the first thing out of his mouth is going to be about Carol.” Keith said, smirking. “Well...no. He’ll greet the dog and  _ then  _ it’ll be about Carol.”

“Who’s Carol?” 

“You’ll find out.” 

Before Pidge could ask any more questions, the front door opened, a tall figure stepping through. Immediately, the puppy started to bark and prance around just as he did every time Lance walked through the door. 

“Hey buddy!” Keith heard Lance say and watched as he bent over to scratch the dog’s head. “It’s good to see you too!” 

Keith shot another smirk at Pidge, gave them a small wink, and then said, “How was the rec center?”

The two watched as Lance looked up, eyes first meeting Keith’s and then shifting to Pidge. “It was fine.” He said, standing up straight and closing the front door behind him, the small husky still bouncing around his feet. “Except Carol was there. Why does she  _ always  _ have to be there?” 

“Damn…” Pidge said, giving Keith an impressed look. “You were right.”

“He’s nothing if not predictable.” Keith replied matter-of-factly. 

“You don’t have to talk about as if I’m not here.” Lance said, shooting a glare first at Keith and then at Pidge. “And I’m  _ not  _ predictable.” 

“Sure you’re not.” Pidge said amusedly as Lance plopped down on the couch next to them, the puppy jumping up after him. “So who’s Carol?”

“She the worst.” Lance said simply, face twisting into a scowl. 

“She’s a lady that’s super involved with the rec center. Lance hates her...with good reason.” Keith explained. 

“Do you know what she said at the thing tonight?” Lance asked, biting off his words. “She said that Mario Kart is too violent for kids!”

Mario Kart? Too violent?” Pidge repeated, shaking with laughter. “In what universe?”

“That’s exactly what I said!” Lance shouted, flinging his hands up in the air dramatically, causing the dog to let out an excited bark. “But she just said that since she was the senior volunteer, she got complete veto power!” 

“Sounds like one of those super overprotective parent types.” Pidge said, still laughing. 

“That’s not even half of what she is!” Lance replied, huffing. 

“Carol is the most...let’s say close-minded person in town.” Keith said. “She was the most vocal against us moving here and, as you can probably imagine, isn’t too thrilled about Lance spending so much time around the kids.” 

“Too bad everyone else likes me too much to listen to her.” Lance muttered smugly. 

“Wait, but I thought you said you guys hadn’t told anyone here that you’re a couple yet.” Pidge said, looking curiously between him and Lance. 

“We haven’t.” Lance replied darkly. “She’s just the queen of assumptions.”

“I mean, she’s not wrong.” Keith added. “But we’re not about to tell her that. It’s too much fun to watch her try to convince everybody else.”

“No one listens to her?” Pidge asked. 

“Oh, they listen.” Lance replied. “But then talk shit about her behind her back. Mostly to Keith.”

“It’s a good time.”  

“Wow, you guys really are getting the full small-town experience here.” Pidge said, shaking their head in disbelief. 

Lance sighed. “I feel like that’s an understatement.” 

“You could always move back to the city.” Pidge said teasingly. “There are plenty of shitty apartments you could rent.” 

“No thanks.” Lance replied with a snort. “I’ll pass.” 

“Don’t let him lie to you.” Keith said. “He’s enjoying living here more than I am.” 

“Yeah, I kinda guessed that.” Pidge replied with a small chuckle as they reached into their pocket and pulled out their phone. “Shit, it’s already that late? And I’ve still got a two-hour drive back.”

“You can stay here tonight if you want.” Lance offered, looking over at Pidge. “We have a guest room.”

“You mean that room you guys made to look like Lance’s bedroom just to mess with people?” Pidge asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“It’s never been used.” Was the only thing Keith offered in response. 

“Hmm…” Pidge said, looking down at their phone again. “I’ll stay...but only if Keith makes me breakfast tomorrow morning!” 

“I’m not your nanny.” Keith replied in a flat voice. 

“Oh, c’mon! Please?” Pidge begged. “I drove all the way out here to visit you guys and you aren’t even gonna feed me?”

“Yeah, Keith! Feed the starving child!” Lance chimed in. 

“I’m not a child!” Pidge fired at him. 

“Okay, fine.” Keith said with a sigh. “But only to get you two to shut up.”

“Yes!” Pidge shouted, jumping up. “And that’s another win for Pidge!” 

“He was gonna do it whether or not you asked.” Lance said, laughing. “But sure, take the win.”

“Oh my god…” Keith muttered, too tired to deal with them anymore. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” And with that, he stood up, not giving either of them a second look as he left the room. He could hear the sound of laughter behind him, but he only rolled his eyes and continued on his way to his and Lance’s bedroom. 

Despite Carol and her blatant homophobia, Keith had to agree with Lance. He wouldn’t move back to the city. Life in the city was fast. Days were spent in a hurry, the constant hustle and bustle not slowing until the early hours of the morning. But here? Life was slow. Keith felt like he could enjoy the time as it passed rather than feel like he had to beat it. There was nothing urging him onward. He could take life at his own pace and who wouldn’t want a life like that? 

Keith could still hear voices coming from the living room as he got ready for bed. He would catch occasional words, but in whole the topic of the conversation was lost on him. He supposed it didn’t really matter. The important thing was that life was easy. And no matter what was waiting for them around the corner, it would be far better than anything behind them. 

And as Keith fell asleep that night, he found that truth to be the only thing on his mind. 

\-----

Everything was quiet. The only sound he could hear was his own breathing, too loud in the silence. Everything was black. No matter which way he looked, all he could see was nothing. It was suffocating, pressing down on his chest in an almost unbearable way. Everything was cold. He could feel the goosebumps rise on his arm as the chill set in. It dug its way into his skin, tearing down into his very bones. 

This wasn’t right. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He shouldn’t be here. He’d left this place behind. Gotten out. Escaped. So why was he back?

_ “Now I lay me down to sleep…” _

Keith jumped at the sudden voice in his ear, losing his balance in the process. He instinctively reached out for something,  _ anything,  _ to grab onto, but all his fingers found was air. 

And so he fell. Hard.

His back hit something solid, cutting short the cry of pain that came involuntarily from his throat. An ache started to radiate outwards from his back, pulsing as fast as his heart was beating. He could feel the terror start to worm its way into his mind, clawing at the rational thoughts that had been keeping it at bay. He knew what came next. He knew that he wasn’t alone in this darkness. He knew what was waiting for him if he didn’t get away  _ right now.  _

_ “I pray the lord my soul to keep…” _

The voice this time was much louder, as if it was coming from all sides of him at once. The words cut into him, injecting the fear directly into his heart. He could feel his limbs stiffen, freezing from the panic that had stared to swirl within him. His breaths came out rapidly as he dug his fingers into the floor beneath him, latching onto anything he could in hopes that it would provide him some chance for survival. His eyes darted around, searching hopelessly for the source of the voice, praying that he would spot the entity before it had a chance to strike. 

_ “If I should die before I wake…” _

The agonizing scream Keith let out from the sudden burning sensation on his leg was drowned out by the deafening loudness of the voice that seemed to be everywhere and nowhere. Pain shot through his body, causing white spots to dance in his vision. 

_ “I pray the lord my soul to take.” _

Keith shot up, eyes flashing open and breath coming out in raspy pants. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, causing his body to shake and his eyes to dart around the room, looking for any sign of the unseen entity. The pounding of his heart was like a drum inside his chest, beating against his rib cage in an attempt to tell him to run. To get out. To get away. Sweat coated his body, yet he could still feel the deathly cold coursing through his veins. 

“Shit…” Keith breathed out, tightly grasping the covers that were now pooled around his waist. A fading pain still radiated from his legs, the scars flaring up every time he had a nightmare similar to the one he just had. 

“Another one?” A quiet voice asked from beside him. 

Keith glanced over to see a half-asleep Lance slowly sitting up. In the dark it was hard to see his expression, but Keith could hear the concern in his voice. 

“Uh...yeah…” Keith replied, voice hoarse. “But I’m...I’m…” The rest of the lie wouldn’t come out, his mind shifting between his bedroom and the mansion. 

“Fine?” Lance finished for him with a gentle voice. “You know I don’t believe you, right?” 

Keith didn’t respond, his thoughts too consumed with panic. He knew it was just a nightmare, but it had felt so real. It was like he was right back in the mansion. Trapped. Waiting for someone to open that fucking door. 

“Hey…” Lance said softly, reaching over and pulling Keith into his arms. 

He didn’t resist, just letting himself fall into the safety that was Lance. His head rested against the taller boy’s chest, the pounding of Lance’s heart loud enough to drown out Keith’s own. Gentle fingers combed through his hair soothingly, the touch enough to stop the shaking. Cinnamon and pine flooded his senses, bringing with it all the bright memories that surrounded Lance. Memories from before they were together. Memories from after. All of them colorful. All of them full of life. 

“I’m sorry…” Lance whispered, voice low. “I’m so sorry…”

Keith wanted to respond. He wanted to tell Lance to not apologize. It wasn’t his fault Keith had nightmares. It wasn’t his fault that Keith was still feeling the effects of that one awful night in the mansion. It wasn’t his fault that Keith couldn’t seem to move on. But at the moment his brain felt fuzzy, stopping him from forming any coherent sentences.

Instead, Keith just grasped Lance’s shirt tightly, listening to the slow cadence of his voice as he repeated the same phrases over and over again. The rhythm seemed to calm his breathing, reducing it to a slow and steady pace as the fear started to drain from him. He could feel it retreating back to where it had come from, locking itself in the deepest part of Keith’s mind. He let it go, knowing that come tomorrow night it would be back in full force. 

“Please don’t leave…” Keith heard himself whisper, voice barely audible in the quiet room. And he meant it. Lance was the only thing that kept Keith stable. The only thing that kept him grounded in reality. But every time another panic attack happened or another nightmare came, Keith worried that Lance would get fed up with him. That Lance would decide he’d had enough of picking up the pieces all the time.

And, really, who could blame him? Wasn’t Keith supposed to be the strong one? Wasn’t Keith supposed to be the foundation? Unshakable? Unfaltering? Keith was many things after the mansion, but he wasn’t that. Not anymore. And so how could he not worry that Lance was slowly coming to realize that the Keith who went into that mansion was not the same Keith that came out? Not the same Keith who Lance had known for so many years? Not the same Keith who Lance said he loved?

“I’m not going anywhere.” Lance whispered soothingly. “I promise.” 

Keith wanted to believe him. He wanted to believe him with everything he had. But he couldn’t. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a voice telling him that any day now he’d wake up to find the other side of the bed empty. And that thought alone caused Keith’s grip to tighten, desperately trying to hold onto something that was slipping through his fingers. 

\-----

“No. I’m not doing that.” Keith said firmly, not even bothering to look over at his small friend who was sitting on top of one of the counters, watching Keith work.

“Why not? Everyone knows waffles are better with ice cream on them.” Pidge whined, a tiredness still in their voice. 

“Yeah, well everyone is wrong.” Keith countered, stirring the waffle batter. “Ice cream will just make them soggy. Is that what you want? Soggy waffles?”

“If they taste like ice cream, then yes.” 

“No.” 

“Keith!”

“My house, my rules.” Keith said sternly. 

He heard an audible gasp sound from Pidge followed by, “How  _ dare  _ you play that card! I thought we were friends!” 

“Well that was your first mistake.” Keith replied, sounding disinterested. 

“Rude.” Pidge said sharply, hopping off the counter. “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”

Keith only hummed in response as the sound of Pidge’s footsteps faded away. It was rare to see Pidge in such an energetic mood this early in the morning. Keith wondered if they had missed him and Lance more than they were letting on. The thought sent a burst of guilt through Keith’s chest, causing him to almost drop the bowl of batter. 

Moving away from his friends had been hard, he could admit that. But it was also necessary. After everything had blown up after the mansion, getting far away from the city was a must. There were too many people who knew he lived there. Everywhere he went someone would recognize him as ‘that ghost hunter guy’ or ‘weren’t you that guy from that big court case?’. In the end, moving was really the only option. At least here no one seemed to recognize him. 

“Okay, tell him.” Keith heard Pidge’s voice say from the doorway. “Now.” 

“Tell me what?” Keith asked, turning to see Pidge standing just inside the kitchen, a barely awake Lance in tow. His shoulders were hunched over, one hand wiping at his eyes. His hair was matted on one side, causing certain strands to stick up in impossible ways. 

“Tell him.” Pidge said, tugging lightly on the sleeve of Lance’s shirt. 

Lance gave a yawn before saying, “Pidge wants me to tell you to put ice cream on their waffles...though I’m not sure why they couldn’t just tell you themselves.” 

Keith looked at Pidge with a raised eyebrow. “Explain.”

“His house, his rules.” Pidge said simply, shooting a glare at Keith. “I can fight fire with fire.”

Keith smirked at them and said, “Well played. That might’ve made a difference if we actually  _ had  _ any ice cream.” 

Pidge’s expression went from steely to mortified in a matter of moments, their whole demeanor seeming to deflate. “That’s so not fair…” They whined, shuffling back over to their previous spot on the counter. 

Keith couldn’t help chuckling to himself as he got back to work. It seemed that even this early in the morning Pidge brought a certain chaos with them that couldn't be found anywhere else.

“Well, I’m glad I was woken up for nothing.” Lance said, speech still slightly slurred. 

“Yeah, thanks for nothing, Lance.” Pidge said sourly. 

“Screw you too, Pidge.” Lance replied flatly. “I’m going back to bed.”

“Actually,” Keith said, looking over his shoulder. “Can you walk the dog before you do? I haven’t had the chance to yet.”

“Me?” Lance whined. “Why can’t you make Pidge do it? They’re not even doing anything!”

“I tried.” Keith said with a shrug. 

“Apparently not hard enough.” Lance grumbled darkly.

“Hey! Do you see this bedhead?” Pidge chimed in, pointing to the messy mop of light-brown hair on their head. “I would send people running if they saw this.”

“And he’s not even their dog.” Keith added. 

“I hate both of you.” 

“Noted.” Keith said. 

Lance gave out a heavy sigh before moving across the room to pick up the small dog that was sniffing around Keith’s feet. “C’mon, buddy. Let’s get away from these traitors.” 

“See ya.” Pidge said smugly, giving Lance a small salute as he left the room. Moments later the front door closed, leaving the two in silence. 

“You’re so mean to him.” Keith said, glancing over at his small friend. 

“Yeah, as if you’re any better.” Pidge replied with a small laugh. “Making him walk Kosmo when he isn’t even awake? That’s just cruel.”

“He’s the one who wanted a dog in the first place.” Keith replied, not a trace of guilt in his voice. “That means he has to take care of it. And if that just so happens to interfere with his sleep schedule? Well, that’s not really my problem, is it?”

“No, I suppose not.” Pidge said, still chuckling to themselves. 

A silence fell over the kitchen for a few moments, a peace coming with it. It was a peace that Keith had grown quite used to over the past couple months. It always came right before the town woke up. Before the lawn mowers started going and the dogs started barking. Before the cars started driving and the kids started playing. This morning seemed no different even with Pidge being there. Maybe they could feel it too...or maybe they were just too tired to carry on a conversation. Regardless, Keith found his shoulders relaxing, the leftover tension from last night finally leaving his body. 

And only when those few moments of peace were over, the sounds of the neighborhood waking up drifting in through the open kitchen window, did Keith speak again. 

“So when are you leaving?”

“Jeez, Kogane. Trying to kick me out?” Pidge replied, not sounding all that offended. 

Keith shot his friend an amused smirk before saying, “Not what I meant. When are you leaving for your investigation?”

“Oh, that.” Pidge said, adjusting their glasses slightly. “Tomorrow morning I think…”

“That soon? Didn’t you guys just get back from one?” 

Pidge shrugged. “I think Allura said something about a small window of opportunity or something, I dunno.” 

“Window of opportunity?” Keith asked. 

“Yeah, didn’t you know? Ghosts are seasonal now.” Pidge joked. 

“You leave the game for six months and everything changes.” Keith replied with a chuckle. “So where are you guys going?”

“Alwater Woods.” Pidge said. “It’s like ten hours south of here or some such.”

“A forest?” 

“Sounds fucking awesome, right?” Pidge said, voice filling with excitement. “Allura could probably tell you more, but apparently the whole place is cited as some paranormal hotspot.” 

“So you’re gonna go walking around the woods late at night?” Keith asked as he placed a few waffles on a plate. He then handed it to Pidge who in turn hopped off the counter and made their way to the dining room, stopping only briefly to grab some utensils. 

“Basically, yeah.” He heard Pidge call from the other room. “But I think we’re gonna have a guide. Apparently, people tend to get lost in there a lot.” 

“Oh good.” Keith replied sarcastically as he fished the syrup out of the fridge. “Sounds very safe.” 

“Eh, don’t worry about it. Shiro’s giving us a crash course on survival techniques and first aid in case anything happens.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him…” Keith said, following Pidge into the dining room, syrup in hand. 

“I don’t honestly think we’re gonna find anything though.” Pidge said with a sigh, placing their elbow on the table and propping their head in their hand. “Paranormal stuff only happens when you guys are around.” 

“Or,” Keith said, giving his small friend a pointed look as he sat down across from them. “Most places just aren’t haunted.” 

Pidge deflated, head dropping to the table next to their plate. “Even in retirement your skepticism is the bane of my existence.” 

“If that’s the worst thing you have to deal with, I think you’re doing just fine.” Keith said flatly. 

“That woman is the worst!” 

Keith and Pidge both jumped at the sudden shout that came from the living room, the sound of the front door slamming accompanying it. The two exchanged worried looks, but neither spoke. 

“What the fuck is wrong with her?!” Lance yelled, coming around the corner and entering the dining room. His face was flushed red, a fire dancing in his usually calm blue eyes.  “Doesn’t she have better things to do with her time?!”

“Who? Carol?” Keith asked in an even tone, not wanting to set Lance off even more. 

“Of course! Who else?!” 

“What she’d do this time?” Pidge asked, sitting back up, a curious glint in their eyes. 

“She was walking her dog!” Lance replied, his words clipped. 

“That’s it?” Pidge asked in a flat voice. 

“Wait, she doesn’t even live in this neighborhood, right?” Keith said, head tilting to the side in confusion. 

“Ex. act. ly.” Lance said fiercely, biting off each syllable. 

“So why was she walking her dog around here then?” Pidge asked. 

“Funny enough, I asked her that exact question.” Lance replied, his intensity not dropping. “Ya wanna know what she said? She said her dog was tired of walking the same route every day.” 

“That...makes absolutely no sense.” Pidge said matter-of-factly.

“I know!” Lance said. “So then I’m thinking, what’s the real reason? Carol is crazy, but she always has a purpose.”

“Did you find out?” Keith asked 

“You bet I did.” Lance replied darkly. 

“And…?” 

“She started bragging about her dog.” Lance said, expression turning even more pissed off. ‘Oh, Chester is so well behaved all the time. He never barks. Did you know he’s trained too? He’s won the local dog competition four years in a row. Has your dog won anything?’ No, Carol, he hasn’t! Wanna know why? He’s four months old! And also! Winning awards doesn’t make your dog better!” Each word he spoke was laced with a venom that Keith seldom heard in Lance’s voice. She must’ve really gotten under his skin this time. 

“She came to brag about her dog?” Pidge asked with a small snicker. 

“Yes...and no.” Keith replied, answering before Lance had the chance to. “Carol believes that everything about her is superior to everything about us. Her house, her car, her job, and now apparently, her dog.” He glanced down at the small puppy who was weaving in and out of the many table and chair legs, sniffing as he went. “And she likes to prove it to us. Or at least try to. Mostly she just ends up pissing Lance off.”

“She sounds like she needs to get a new hobby.” Pidge said, laughing fully this time. 

“Feel free to take her on your next investigation.” Lance grumbled. “Being possessed by a ghost might actually make her more bearable.”

“Yeah...no. I’ll pass on that.” Pidge said shaking their head. “She sounds like the kinda person that would insist she knows what she’s doing but then actually fuck everything up.”

“That’s exactly what she would do.” Keith said amusedly. “But it would sure make for an interesting investigation.”

“Interesting for you. A headache for me.” Pidge replied flatly. “No, you guys can keep her.”

“Gee, thanks.” Lance muttered angrily. “I’m gonna take a shower. Wash off all of her pretentiousness.”

“Wait, did she actually touch you? That would be a first.” Keith asked. 

“No, but she breathed on me. That’s enough.” Lance replied moodily before leaving the room, muttering angrily to himself. 

“He’s enjoying himself.” Pidge said, a half-smile on their face. 

“You think?” Keith asked.

“Are you kidding me? This is the kinda stuff Lance lives for. Playing with kids. Dealing with a little bit of drama. No ghosts in sight. Yeah, this town is perfect for him.” 

_ ‘Is it?’  _ Keith thought, gaze shifting to the doorway Lance left through.  _ ‘Is it perfect? Would it be better if he didn’t have to be reminded of the past every night? Would it be better if...if I wasn’t here?’ _

\-----

The warm night breeze brushed past his face, blowing his hair ever-so-slightly to one side. Around him he could hear the song of the cicadas, their melody adding to the calm of the night rather than disrupting it. From his spot on their front steps, Keith could see out onto the empty street, the houses that lined it giving off enough light to illuminate the pavement. The occasional firefly would rise from the grass of their front lawn, drifting up into the night sky to join the countless stars that sat over his head. 

It was there that Keith found his gaze kept returning to. The stars. It was strange, but he found comfort in them. Even with all of their mysteries, there was a consistency that Keith couldn’t find anywhere else. They wouldn’t change. They would always be right there waiting for him. And despite all of the uncertainties that were plaguing him, Keith found that while he was looking at the stars, all the worry and guilt seemed to fade away. It was only for a moment, but it was enough. 

“Should’ve known you’d be out here.” He heard Lance’s voice say, the sound of the front door closing accompanying it. A moment later Lance sat down beside him, a content sigh escaping his lips. 

Keith glanced briefly at the brown-haired boy sitting next to him, face illuminated in the moonlight. He could see the reflection of the night sky in his eyes, stars dancing and twirling within a vast sea of emotion. Keith could feel something inside him swell, a soft smile appearing on his face. It wasn’t an unfamiliar sensation. He had found that over the last year it was the small moments that mattered the most. Moments like right now. There was no pressure. No expectation. Keith could simply  _ be  _ with Lance. And when it came right down to it, that’s all he really wanted. 

“Penny for your thoughts.” Lance said quietly, gaze shifting to meet Keith’s. 

“Do you remember the first time we met?” Keith replied. 

“What? You mean like in middle school?”

“Yeah.” Keith said with a small nod. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Hmm...didn’t you call me something like ‘an idiot that not even a mother could love’?” Lance replied, smirking slightly.

Keith laughed and shook his head. “No, before that.”

“Before that?” Lance said, squinting his eyes as if he was trying to see something a long way off. “I’m pretty sure that was the first interaction we ever had. You called me out because I was flirting with that girl...what was her name...Jenny...something?”

“Okay, yes. That did happen.” Keith said, still chuckling at the memory. “But that was the second time we met.”

“Second time? Are you sure?” Lance’s expression became confused, head tilting to the side ever so slightly. 

“Are you serious? You don’t remember?” 

Lance sighed. “I guess not. Care to enlighten me?”

“It was, like, the first week of school...and Shiro and I had just moved to the city.” Keith said, leaning back on his hands, eyes staring up at the stars once more. “So I didn’t really know anyone.” 

“Yeah, you were a real loner.” Lance agreed. 

“Thanks.” Keith said dryly before continuing. “It was during passing period. Most people would avoid me. Like, they walked on the opposite side of the hall and stuff. I think...I think people were afraid of me for some reason…?”

“Probably because you always looked pissed off.” Lance pointed out. “You were scary back then...sometimes still are.”

“Do you want me to tell the story or would you rather just keep interrupting me?” Keith asked, no real animosity behind his words. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Lance said with a wave of his hand, offering Keith a bright smile. “Please continue.” 

Keith rolled his eyes before speaking again. “I was at my locker, getting stuff for my next class. And out of nowhere, something hit the locker door. Hard...which then hit me. Hard.”

“I don’t like where this story is going…” Lance muttered sheepishly. 

“So I’m dizzy, of course, from being hit in the head by a locker door and instead of a, I dunno, ‘sorry’? Or maybe a ‘my bad’? Do you know what I hear?”

“I’m not gonna like the answer…” 

“I hear ‘Watch out, shorty. Someone might accidentally step on you.’ Which isn’t even clever, by the way.”

Lance covered his face with his hands and groaned but didn’t say anything. 

“I look over to see this tall, gangly, twig-like-”

“I get it.” Lance cut in darkly, looking up from his hands. 

“-kid walking away and the  _ only  _ thing that I can think is ‘someone actually talked to me’.”

“Wait, what?” Lance said, a mixture of confusion and surprise in his voice. “I make fun of you and that’s your response?”

Keith shrugged. “It wasn’t like I was afraid of you or anything. No offense but you’ve never really been that intimidating.”

“Lies!” Lance shot at him. “I’m super intimidating!” 

“Not even a little.” Keith deadpanned. 

“Pssh, whatever.” Lance replied, crossing his arms. 

“I can’t believe you don’t remember that…” Keith sighed, shaking his head slightly. 

“To be fair, I try to block out a lot of the memories from that time. Things were...confusing…” Lance withdrew somewhat, shoulders hunching and gaze falling to the sidewalk in front of them.

“Confusing how?” Keith asked, voice gentle. 

Lance didn’t answer for a moment and Keith didn’t push him to. After a minute or so he finally said, “The beginning of middle school was when I was first figuring out that my pendulum swung both ways…so to speak...”

“Hmm...that’s a lot for a kid to handle at the age.” Keith said. 

“Exactly.” Lance agreed. “So when I saw a guy that made me...feel things...I tended to react poorly.”

“Hence the locker?” 

“Hence the locker.” 

“Wait, hold up.” Keith said suddenly, sitting up straight to look Lance in the eyes properly. “All the way back then...you liked me?”

“U-Uh...I-I mean…” Lance stuttered, face turning red. “I...guess I did...at first…”

“At first?” Keith asked curiously. “What does that mean?” 

“Well, you were sorta a dick to me, ya know?” Lance replied, a slight hesitation to his voice. “Like all the time. And we fought so often…I mean, the first real conversation we ever had started with you calling me an idiot.” 

“True…” Keith murmured, a pang of guilt hitting him in the stomach. 

“Hey, here’s a question.” Lance said, voice returning to its normal cadence. “If you weren’t mad about the locker thing, why’d you call me an idiot? It can’t be  _ just  _ because I was flirting with Jenny.”

This time it was Keith’s turn to become flustered. He could feel the nerves start to twist inside him, causing his throat to go dry and his hands to sweat. He looked everywhere but at Lance, knowing that those blue eyes would see right through him. “No reason.” He said just a little too quickly. 

“Keith…” Lance said, drawing his name out. “Answer the question, Keith.”

“I just…” Keith said, still not looking at him. “Couldn’t...get your attention any other way…”

“Couldn’t get my…?” Lance said slowly. “You were trying to get my attention?”

“I mean, yeah.” Keith said with a defeated sigh. “I already told you, no one else had really talked to me. But every time I tried to talk to you, you’d just walk away or flat out ignore me. What was I supposed to do?”

“Oh my god…I think I know what happened…”

Keith glanced at Lance, confused. “What do you mean?”

“The only reason I started talking-”

“Fighting.”

“Whatever. I started paying attention to you because I thought you were a prick. And I couldn’t like someone with such a rotten personality...so it was okay to get to know you. Before that, I thought that if I avoided you, those weird feelings would go away…” 

“Holy shit…” Keith muttered in disbelief. “We were just a pair of confused, horny morons…”

“We  _ were  _ in middle school so that makes sense.” 

“I suppose…still makes you think though.”

“Think about what?” Lance asked. 

“What things would be like if you hadn’t hit me with that door.” Keith replied, his voice dropping low. 

“Is  _ that  _ what this little trip down memory lane has been about?” 

“Do you honestly never think about it?” 

Lance sighed. “I mean, sure I do. Of course I wonder what things would be like if I did things differently. All the time. Where would I be if I had refused to go on that first ghost hunt in Pidge’s basement? Would things still have worked out between us if I had stayed in the van back at the asylum? There’s no way of knowing, of course.” Lance paused, seeming to be searching for the right words. “I guess the question is why are  _ you  _ thinking about stuff like that?”

“Does there have to be a reason?” Keith asked, looking away from Lance, not wanting him to see the doubts that he kept hidden away. 

“For you? Yes.” Lance replied, nudging Keith with his shoulder. “You’re too much of a realist to care about the ‘what if’s. So spill. What’s really on your mind?”

Keith didn’t respond, his mind trying to process exactly what he wanted to say. He wanted to ask Lance if he was getting tired of always having to take care of Keith when things became too much. He wanted to ask Lance if he was truly happy living with someone who was stuck in one place. Someone who no matter how hard he tried, just couldn’t seem to take a step forward. He wanted to ask Lance if he regretted the years they’d spent as ghost hunters, knowing that nothing would be this damaged if they had never started that show. But the words got stuck in his throat. It was as if a barrier was holding them back, stopping Keith from ever learning the truth.

And so in the end, Keith went with a half-truth, praying that Lance wouldn’t see through it. “I was just thinking how much better things would be if the mansion had never happened.” 

“Thought so.” Lance said, tone gentle. “I think about that a lot too.”

“You do?” Keith said, trying to ignore the sudden ache that started to build in his chest. 

Lance gave a small nod. “Yeah...you once asked me if I would stop us from going to the asylum if I could. I told you I wouldn’t, and I still stand by that answer.” He paused, tilting his head back to look at the night sky. “But if I could go back in time and stop us from going to that mansion, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

“You...would?” Keith asked, having to force the words out. With every word Lance spoke he felt like he was suffocating. Like a noose he didn’t even know was there was tightening around his neck. 

“Of course I would. Nothing good came out of that place.” Lance said, a fierce undertone to his voice. “Before that place everything was perfect. But after…” Lance took a deep breath before continuing. “Waiting for you to wake up was the hardest month of my entire life. Can you really blame me for wishing it never happened?” 

Keith couldn’t. He really, really couldn’t. And it was for that very reason his heart shattered. He could feel the moment it broke, an agony rising from somewhere deep inside him, threatening to swallow him whole. 

He had been right. 

Lance didn’t want anything to do with that mansion. He didn’t want anything to do with what came out of it. And that included Keith. Lance wanted the Keith before the mansion. He wanted the Keith that was confident. The Keith that wasn’t damaged. Broken. Fractured. But no matter what Keith did, he knew he couldn’t be that person. Not anymore. 

So he supposed it was only a matter of time. Any day now Lance would say he’d had enough...and he’d leave. 

“I’m...tired.” Keith managed to force out, hoping his voice didn’t betray what he was really thinking. “I’m going to bed.” 

Keith didn’t even glance at Lance as he stood, not knowing if he could withstand those piercing blue eyes at the moment. He didn’t give Lance a chance to respond. He didn’t know if he could handle whatever else he was going to say. Instead, he just walked inside, shutting the door behind him. Shutting the door on the person he cared for most in this world. 

\-----

_ ‘Now I lay me down to sleep… _

_ I pray the lord my soul to keep…’ _

Keith glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in their living room. It read four thirty in the morning. It had been exactly an hour since he had woken up, sweaty and shaky. An hour since he had gotten out of bed, afraid that Lance would wake up and see him. An hour since Keith had curled up in the recliner, blanket wrapped tightly around him. An hour since he had started remembering everything that had happened at the mansion in painstaking detail. 

And three days since Keith had started lying to Lance. Three days since Keith had started pretending the nightmares were gone. Pretending he didn’t spend hours every night reliving the horrors that he had barely escaped.

And truth be told, he was exhausted, but that was far better than the alternative.

_ ‘If I should die before I wake… _

_ I pray the lord my soul to take.’ _

It came in flashes. Small snippets that all fit together to form the larger picture.

The feeling of being watched...

The door closing…

The complete and utter darkness…

The stale, dead cold…

And that voice…

That terrible, awful voice in his ear…

Repeating the same thing over and over again…

Keith gripped the sides of his head, closing his eyes and shrinking further into himself. He tried to cover his ears. To get the voice to just  _ stop _ . But no matter what he did, it just kept repeating itself until the words had drilled themselves into his very being. They wormed their way into every thought, every feeling, every breath he took. The terrible mantra beat like a drum in his head, a constant reminder of what happened. 

“Please…” Keith whispered to no one, voice echoing slightly in his empty living room. “Please make it stop…” 

He felt like his mind was unraveling. Like the entity that haunted his nightmares was pulling a thread, unwinding him until he was no more than a pile of nothing. A shell of the person he once was. 

_ ‘Now I lay me down to sleep… _

_ I pray the lord my soul to keep… _

_ If I should die before I wake… _

_ I pray the lord my soul to take.’ _

\-----

“Keith?...Hey, Keith...Keith!” 

Keith jumped, causing the laptop that had been open on his lap to clatter to the floor. He sucked in a deep breath as he took in his surroundings, realizing that he had accidentally dozed off. He was in his living room, tv turned on to some pointless sci-fi movie that he was sure he hadn’t really been watching. There was a slight ache in his back, probably due to falling asleep sitting up. His mouth felt dry, his throat scratchy. And he was sure that if he looked in the mirror, he would see bloodshot eyes. 

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. In fact, he had been trying his hardest not to fall asleep. He couldn’t control himself in his sleep. Who knew when the next nightmare would come? And if Lance had just so happened to be around for that? Then the past three nights would have been for nothing.

_ ‘Stupid.’ _ Keith thought, as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.  _ ‘I need to be more careful.’ _

“Were you napping?” He heard Lance ask. Looking over, Keith could see him staring at him with wide eyes from the doorway into their dining room. “You  _ never  _ nap.” 

“I wasn’t napping.” Keith lied, doing his best to keep his tone even. “I just zoned out a little.”

Lance snorted, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms. “I didn’t know people zoned out with their eyes closed.” 

“Whatever…” Keith said moodily, wanting nothing more than to change the subject. “Did you need something?”

“What? Oh, yeah. Your phone’s been ringing for, like, the last five minutes.” Lance said, nodding to the phone that was sitting next to Keith. “Thought it might be important, so I woke you up.”

“I wasn’t-”

“Asleep, I know.” Lance cut in, smirking. 

Keith didn’t respond, instead grabbing his phone and turning the screen on. “Huh...that’s weird.” 

“What? What’s weird?” Lance asked somewhat impatiently. 

“Five missed calls from Adam.” Keith responded. “He never calls me.”

“You gonna call him back?” 

“Yeah.” Keith said, opening his phone. He could already feel anxiety start to eat away at his insides. Shiro was always the one to call him, not Adam. So why was it Adam’s name on his phone and not Shiro’s? Had something happened? Keith couldn’t stop his hands from shaking as he raised the phone to his ear. 

It rang only once before Keith heard Adam’s voice. “Keith?”

“Hey, Adam. Sorry I missed-”

“You haven’t heard from them, have you?” Adam asked, cutting him off. His voice sounded frantic, panicked even. Keith felt something in his stomach drop. Adam had always been calm and collected. Something very bad would have had to have happened to get him in such a state. 

“Who? The team?” Keith asked, already knowing the answer. “Not for a couple of days. Why?”

“Shit!” He heard Adam spit out, sounding more scared than angry. 

“Adam, what’s wrong?” Keith asked, unsuccessfully trying to keep his voice steady. 

“Someone's gotta go after them.” Adam said, not answering Keith’s question.

“After them…?” Keith asked slowly, realization dawning on him. “Did they...did they not come back?” 

Adam didn’t reply, his silence the only answer Keith needed. 

The world broke. All of it. Shattered. In an instant. The safety that he and Lance had found in their new home. The comfort of knowing nothing malicious could reach them anymore. The hope for an uneventful life. The peaceful bubble they had been living under had burst, letting reality come crashing down around them. 

Shiro. Gone. Allura. Gone. Pidge. Gone. Hunk. Gone. It was almost too much for him to comprehend. The skeptic in him told him that maybe they were just running late. Or maybe they had decided to stay an extra few days. They were probably fine. Probably. 

But...what if…

Keith couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. The panic in Adam’s voice was enough to tell him that this was more than just an extended investigation. This was real. Something was wrong. Whether that something was paranormal or not, he didn’t know. But right now that didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered except finding his friends. 

“Adam…” Keith said, voice stern. “Where are you? Are you home?” 

“Yeah…” Adam responded, sounding spent. 

“Okay.” Keith said, purposely not looking at Lance. Keith knew exactly what was going through Lance’s head at the moment. And right now he couldn’t afford to lose his nerve any more than he already had. “We’re coming over. Just...stay put. We’ll figure this out.” 

“...Okay.” Adam replied, tone unsteady. “Just please hurry. I...I can’t lose him, Keith.”

“I know.” Keith said softly, knowing that Adam would find no comfort in his words. “We’ll do what we can. We’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

All Keith got in turn was the sound of the line going dead. He dropped the phone back down onto the couch, letting out a shaky breath. 

“It’s not real…” 

Keith glanced over to Lance who was frozen in place, arms now hanging at his sides limply. He was staring as Keith, eyes wide, fear swirling within. His face had gone pale, far paler than Keith had seen in a long time. 

“Please tell me it’s not real…” Lance’s voice was no more than a whisper, yet it seemed all too loud in the oppressive silence. 

“Don’t jump to conclusions.” Keith said, standing up and crossing the room. He stopped in front of Lance, reaching up and cupping the taller boy’s face in his hands. He didn’t look away from the horror-filled gaze of Lance, instead choosing to endure it, knowing that right now he needed to look confident even though he was anything but. “We don’t know what happened. It could be a million things before it’s a ghost.”

“But-”

“Lance.” Keith said sternly, cutting him off. “Let’s just focus on getting to Adam. He can’t be alone right now. Who knows what he’ll do? What if it were me missing?”

“It  _ was  _ you.” Lance replied, pain lacing every word. Keith could see water welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. “I can’t do that again...I can’t...please don’t ask me to...I-I can’t…”

“Hey…” Keith said softly, pulling Lance’s head down so their foreheads were touching. He breathed in the familiar scent of cinnamon and pine, knowing that it would do little to calm his nerves but taking all that he could get at the moment. “I’m not asking you to do anything except come with me to meet Adam. That’s it. Can you do that?”

There was a pause, Lance taking a few shaky breaths, before he finally said, “Yeah...I can do that…”

“We’ll take this one step at a time.” Keith soothed, reassuring himself as much as he was Lance. He didn’t know what was going to happen once they got to Adam and Shiro’s place. He didn’t know what the next step was going to be. And that scared him. 

But Keith did know one thing: The team had come for him when he had been locked in that room. They had risked their lives for him. No matter what was waiting for him, it seemed it was time to return the favor.

\-----

The car ride to the city was silent. The hum of the engine was enough to keep Keith’s mind focused on the road, but he’d be lying if he said he couldn’t feel the fear tugging at the edges of his thoughts. His hands gripped the steering wheel too tight, turning his knuckles bone white. His turns were just a little too sharp. His stops a little too abrupt. 

Lance sat next to him, staring out the front windshield with glazed over eyes. Keith knew he was miles away. Whether he was at the asylum or the mansion, he didn’t know. The tiny dog sat in his lap, tongue lolling out, panting. Lance was absentmindedly petting him, hand moving in a rhythmic pattern. He was shaken, that much was obvious. Keith just didn’t know if he was past the point of basic functions. He really hoped not. 

“It’s not your fault.” Keith said, not looking at the brown-haired boy sitting next to him. 

“...What?” Lance asked, voice sounding small. 

“It’s not your fault.” Keith repeated. “Whatever happened to them. It’s not your fault.” 

“I wasn’t thinking that.” Lance replied, gaze dropping to his feet. 

“Bullshit.” Keith said bluntly. “I know you. You’re probably thinking that they wouldn’t be missing if you had convinced them to stop investigating. Or maybe you could have prevented them from doing something stupid if you had just been with them.”

“I’m not wrong, am I?” Lance asked quietly. 

“How could you have known?” Keith replied, clenching the steering wheel even tighter. “You had no idea things would turn out this way.”

“How could I  _ not  _ have known?” Lance spat at him, sending a glare his direction. “Have you forgotten that this has happened twice before? This stuff isn’t exactly new.” 

“We don’t know if it’s paranormal yet.” Keith said, not matching Lance’s level of anger. 

“Oh, come  _ on!  _ Just for once in your life will you open your eyes?” Lance replied, words clipped. “You  _ know _ they didn’t extend the investigation. They would’ve  _ told _ someone. And Adam wouldn’t have called us unless it was something serious.” 

Keith didn’t respond, clenching his jaw tightly. He knew Lance had a point. He knew that the chances of it being anything but a ghost was small. What else could make a whole team disappear? But admitting that was like admitting that the worse had happened. It was like admitting that they were…

Was it so wrong that Keith wasn’t ready to come to terms with that possibility? Was it wrong to want to believe that they were just lost in the woods somewhere? Was it wrong to want to deny the existence of the very thing that almost took his own life? 

“Can you let me have this?” Keith whispered, something inside him breaking. “Please?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith could see Lance’s expression shift from anger to shock, blue eyes trained on Keith’s face. “...What?”

Keith swallowed the lump in his throat and then took a deep breath before saying, “This is my brother we’re talking about. This is Pidge. This is Hunk and Allura. Before...it’s always been me. _ I  _ was in the morgue.  _ I _ was in that display room.” Keith paused for a moment, giving himself time to stop the flood of memories that threatened to send him into another panic. “But it’s not me anymore. It’s people I care about. People  _ we  _ care about. So is it okay for me to not think about the worst case scenario? Just for a little bit?”  

“Keith…” Lance said softly, reaching over to pull one of Keith’s hands off the steering wheel, gently lacing their fingers together. “Yeah, that’s okay. I guess it’s not the worst thing to have an irritating skeptic around.”

“Thanks…” Keith muttered, squeezing Lance’s hand lightly. He didn’t need to look at Lance to know that he was still worried. That he was still terrified. That he was still running over the ‘what if’s in his head. 

And that was okay. He was allowed to do that. No, he  _ should  _ do that because they balanced each other out. Where Keith was over-rational, Lance was anything but. Where Keith wouldn’t believe, Lance would wholeheartedly. Where Keith was willing, Lance wasn’t. And it worked. It always worked. And right now, Keith needed to rely on something. 

“What’re you gonna do?” Lance asked, a strain to his voice. 

“What do you mean?”

“What are you gonna do once we get to Adam’s?” 

Keith didn't know. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. He knew that he wasn’t about to abandon his friends. He knew that he wasn’t going to run away. But did that mean he was going to have to go trudging through some forest hopping that he didn’t fall victim to the same thing they did? 

“Make sure he’s okay. Ask him what he knows. See if he’s contacted anyone else.” Keith replied, knowing that he wasn’t answering Lance’s question. “After that, who knows?”

“Pidge told you where they were going, right? To the woods?” Lance said. “If...If it came down to it, would you go?”

A silence stretched on in the car as Keith didn't answer. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what his answer was, but rather he knew that it wasn’t going to be the answer that Lance wanted to hear. It wasn’t like he wanted to go out to some supposedly haunted woods in hopes of finding his friends alive and well. It wasn’t like he wanted to be thrown back into the thick of things after having tried so hard to get out. It wasn’t like he wanted some new horror to show up in hopes that it would drown out the past ones. 

But still…

What kind of person would that make him if he didn’t go? If he didn’t at least try? 

Lance had said he would take the mansion back if he could. That nothing good had come out of that place. Well, the Keith before the mansion wouldn’t have hesitated to go on a rescue mission. He wouldn’t have given it another thought. And if that’s the Keith Lance wanted, then that was the Keith he would get - never mind the jagged edges of fear that were ripping his insides apart with every passing second. 

“Yeah…” Keith finally answered, voice quiet. “I would.”

Lance didn’t respond. He only tightened his grip on Keith’s hand and let out a shaky breath. It was the kinda breath that Keith could feel in the deepest part of him. The kind that spoke volumes without a word being uttered. It was worry. It was regret. It was fear. It was resignation.

But most of all, it was bravery. 

And while to most, bravery would be a sign of comfort, a sign that maybe everything would turn out okay, to Keith, Lance’s bravery could really only mean one thing. 

The situation was so much worse than he could ever possibly imagine. 

\-----

Keith’s eyes followed Adam back and forth as he paced. There was something about the older man that was unsettling, something that was slightly off. While Keith had always seen Adam as a rock, someone who could remain level-headed even in the most stressful of situations, he was far from being calm right now. His tanned skin had turned ashen, dark circles outlining his panicked eyes. His normally neat and well-kept hair was now a ruffled mess, stressed fingers unable to stop from pulling at the brown strands. 

But it went further than appearances. There was something about the way Adam talked, a dark undertone hidden in his voice. His movements weren’t as fluid as Keith remembered, a stiff sort of jerkiness to the way he walked. But even beyond that, Adam just seemed deader. Like something had sucked all the life from him, leaving him stranded in some unseen grayscale. 

Keith had always known that Adam and Shiro loved each other. It had been evident from the first time he had seen them together. So he supposed he really shouldn’t be surprised that Adam was taking Shiro’s disappearance as hard as he was. After all, it wasn’t very often that Shiro ran across something he couldn’t handle. 

Ever since Keith was a kid, Shiro had been the golden boy. People relied on him and in turn, Shiro never let them down. Even when the expectations were insanely high, Shiro was able to surpass them with seemingly no effort. 

Of course, not many people saw the ugly side of that coin. They never saw the darkness Keith stood in, a shadow cast so wide that any attempt at escape would be futile. They never saw the disappointed looks when Keith failed to meet the high standards that his brother so easily maintained. They never saw the confused glances of those who couldn’t possibly believe that Keith was related to the great and powerful Shiro. No one ever saw. 

But it wasn’t like Keith blamed Shiro for that. How could he? Shiro was just being himself. And even more than that, Shiro had helped Keith through almost every aspect of his life. Learning to stand up to his elementary school bully? Shiro had taught him that. Figuring out how to drive the busy streets of the city without getting in an accident? All Shiro. Finally biting the bullet and coming out to his parents? It was Shiro who encouraged him. 

After they started making the show, Keith had found that things had changed. For the first time, he was able to step out of that shadow and show others what he had to offer. People started seeing him as Keith instead of just Shiro’s younger brother. Even after Shiro had joined the team, that feeling hadn’t gone away. They were equals.

But now Shiro was gone and all Keith could do was watch helplessly as Adam paced himself into a meltdown. How truly pathetic. 

“Adam…” Lance said from his spot on the couch next to Keith. His voice held no trace of the fear Keith had heard before. It was gentle, patient, understanding. “I know this is hard. Believe me, I do.” 

Keith’s gazed snapped to Lance’s face, a realization dawning on him that he couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen before. Lance _ had been _ Adam. He had been the scared, panicky, desperate boyfriend. He had had the pale skin and sunken features. He had been the one to pull at his hair until it ended up a complete mess. And as Keith’s eyes shifted back to Adam who had now stopped in his tracks, eyes fixated on Lance, all Keith could picture was Lance on the other side of that door, fists desperately pounding against the hardwood, voice begging to let him in. 

A new type of nausea erupted in his stomach as he pushed the image aside. He didn’t have time to worry about his own problems right now. No, he had bigger things to focus on. 

“He’s missing, guys.” Adam said, his voice desperate. “They all are. What am I supposed to do?”

“Well…” Lance said, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees. “Maybe catching us up to speed would be a good start.”

“I don’t really know that much…” Adam replied, a tired sigh escaping his lips.

“You know more than us at this point.” Keith said, following Lance’s lead. “All we know is the name of the place they went.” 

Adam didn’t say anything for a moment, biting his lip as his eyes shifted back and forth between them. After a minute or so, he shook his head slightly and moved to sit on the loveseat adjacent to the couch. 

“I don’t know any of the specifics.” Adam said, practically deflating into the couch from exhaustion. Keith wondered how long it had been since he had last slept. “Shiro never really told me what kind of stuff you guys went after...said he didn’t want to make me worry.”

“Sounds like him.” Keith muttered, mostly to himself.

“I know that they were headed to Alwater woods - it’s supposedly some paranormal hotspot.” Adam paused, his gaze shifting from them to the window on the far side of the room. “They were only supposed to be gone one night. Shiro called me right before they entered the forest. He said there wasn’t any cell reception in there, but he would call me as soon as they left in the morning.” Adam stopped again, his voice filling with an agony that tore at Keith’s heart. 

Was this how Lance had sounded? Had he sounded this defeated? This hopeless? Just the mere thought of it was enough to send a new wave of guilt coursing through him. What kind of pain had he put Lance through?

“I never got the call...that was two days ago.” Adam whispered, gaze still turned towards the window. Keith could see how much Adam was trying to hold it together. He could see his desperate attempts to stay composed. It hurt just to look at him; Keith could only imagine how much worse it was to actually  _ be  _ Adam. 

“Have you tried calling him?” Lance asked, voice quiet. 

Adam let out a defeated scoff, gaze finally turning back to look at them. “Only a million times. It just keeps going to voicemail.”

“And the others?” Keith asked.

“Same story. I can’t get ahold of anybody. Not Allura, not Pidge, not Matt-”

“Matt?” Lance cut in, eyes going wide. “What do you mean ‘Matt’?”

“You didn’t know?” Adam asked, brow furrowing. “Matt went with them on this investigation.”

Keith felt something inside him drop as another name was added to the list of missing people. “But why?”

“Shiro thought the team was lacking in manpower after you two retired. He asked Matt to join the team a few weeks ago. This was supposed to be his first investigation.”

“Shit…” Keith breathed out, running a hand through his hair. “This really isn’t good.”

“Was there anyone else with them?” Lance asked. 

“Just some forest ranger that was going to act as their guide. I don’t think anyone has heard from her either.” Adam replied with a small shrug.

“Have you told anyone about this?” Keith asked. “Called the police? Reported them missing?”

Adam shook his head slowly. “Since that thing at the mansion, Shiro told me to get in touch with you guys first if anything should happen. He said you would know what to do. You do know what to do, right?”

Keith exchanged a look with Lance, both of their expressions a mixture of worry and resignation. He knew the answer to Adam’s question. He knew exactly what Shiro wanted him to do. He also knew  _ why  _ Shiro wanted him to do it. 

On the off chance that there was something paranormal going on, who better equipped to deal with it than them? How could they rely on the police if it turned out that some deranged ghost lived in those woods? 

The answer seemed far too simple: They couldn’t. 

With a sigh, Keith said, “I’m going to Alwater.”

“You are?” Adam asked, concern evident in his voice. “Seriously?”

“That’s my team out there.” Keith replied in a steady voice. “I’m not just gonna leave them.”

“But you have no idea what’s out there.” Adam said, leaning forward in his seat. “Listen, I want Shiro back as much as you but going in there blind could be dangerous. Did you forget what happened at the mansion?”

“ _ Of course _ I didn’t forget.” Keith said forcefully, gaze turning steely. “But that’s all the more reason why I should go. They could be seriously hurt.”

“And what makes you think that you won’t end up just like them?” Adam countered.

“What choice do I have, Adam? Who else even stands a chance of bringing them home?” Keith found his voice rising defensively, although he didn’t think it was aimed at Adam. He could feel the panic bubbling in the back of his mind. It was the same sensation he got after every nightmare. He didn’t want to go anywhere near Alwater. He didn’t want to face the possibility of running into something that was less than friendly. But he had to. He knew he had to. 

There was a silence in the room. Keith kept his gaze locked with Adam’s, trying almost desperately to prove his worth with eye contact alone. Adam seemed to be studying him, brown eyes analyzing every inch of his face, weighing the pros and cons. 

It was Adam who spoke first, his voice stern. “Two days. That’s all you get. If I don’t hear from you in two days, I’m calling the police, got it?” 

“Got it.” Keith replied with a nod, a bizarre wave of relief coursing through him. 

“I-I’m…fuck…” Lance stuttered, looking defeated. His eyes were trained downward, fingers nervously picking at the hem of his sleeve. He was rocking ever-so-slightly back and forth, body far too tense for the present situation. Keith recognized those signs. He’d seen them before. This was Lance’s pre-investigation freak out. 

Which could really only mean one thing. 

“You’re coming with?” Keith asked, making his voice as soft as he could. “You know you don’t have to…”

Lance shook his head meekly. “No, I have to go. You said in yourself...that’s our team out there.” He paused, swallowing hard, before continuing, “Also, I’m pretty sure you’d get killed in the first hour if I let you go alone.”

There it was again. Lance’s bravery. Something that Keith did not want to see at the moment. He found his throat closing up, a certain chill running down his spine. He wished he could find it comforting. He wished that Lance’s bravery would inspire confidence instead of causing the anxiety in his stomach to churn even faster. 

“Well, you do stand more of a chance with two people.” Adam said, not seeming to notice the shift in Keith’s demeanor. 

“Exactly...” Lance replied, laughing nervously. “And, really, how bad could it be? It’s just the woods. Nothing bad ever happens in the woods…”

“Right…” Adam said slowly, giving him a worried look. 

“Well, uh…” Keith chimed in, trying to shake some of the weight from his shoulders. “We’ll need someone to watch him.” He nodded in the direction of the small pup that was busy sniffing around the perimeter of the room, not paying any mind to the three of them. “We can’t take him with us.”

“Not a problem.” Adam replied, turning to look at the husky. “I think I’d go crazy in an empty apartment anyway.”

“Thanks.” Keith said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “It’s almost dusk so we’ll drive through the night to get there and investigate tomorrow morning.”

“With luck we’ll be out of there before nightfall.” Lance added quietly. “No reason to be wandering around a dark forest.”

“Sounds like you have a plan.” Adam said, leaning back once more with a sigh.

“Hey…” Keith said, a cautious tone to his voice. “Are you...okay?” 

Adam didn’t look at him as he replied, eyes once more staring out the far window. There was a distant look on his face, like he was seeing something that wasn’t really there. But Keith didn’t need to know what he was seeing to hear the pain in his voice. He could hear the constant phone calls, all of them going unanswered. He could hear the sleepless nights. He could hear the agony of not knowing. He could hear all of it and so much more as Adam said one simple word. 

“No.”

And suddenly Keith was back at the mansion, picturing a Lance who was all alone, moving through the dark halls. He pictured a Lance who was scared, looking over his shoulder every two seconds. He pictured the flashlight in his hand shaking as he held it out in front of him. But most of all, he pictured the utter desperation in his eyes. 

Keith had never seen any of the footage from the mansion. He never wanted to. But looking at Adam right now, Keith realized he didn’t need to; he knew exactly what Lance had looked like. 

\-----

The sound of guitar could be heard quietly from the speakers in their car, the rich tenor voice accompanying it singing of some lost love. It was the only sound that was keeping Keith focused enough to drive. Cars passed on either side of the vehicle, some going much too fast while other moved at a more leisurely pace. Lance still sat next to him, the taller boy looking uneasy. He knew that Lance had never been the kind of person to abandon his friends so it hadn’t come as too much of a shock when he agreed to come along. But still, Keith was impressed by how well he was keeping himself together. He had a feeling that the closer they got to Alwater, the more Lance would spiral. But right now he seemed...like he was managing. 

“Okay, so…” Lance said, staring down at the phone in his hand, expression serious. “I’ve pulled up some stuff about Alwater. Wanna hear about it?”

“Sure.” Keith said, shoulders tensing slightly. “Go for it.”

“Hmm...let’s see…‘Alwater Woods is a forest spanning about fifty square miles.’” Lance read. “‘Because of the thick foliage and dense trees, it has been left mostly uninhabited. While many people attempt to hike through the forest, most looking to appreciate the many wild flowers growing within, the forest has a tragic history. Many people have gone missing in the forest including children.’ Well, that’s super sad.”

“It’s a haunted forest.” Keith said flatly. “Of course it’s not all going to be all sunshine and rainbows.”

Lance only let out a small grunt as he continued to scroll through whatever he was reading from. “‘Many have attributed these disappearances to how dangerous some of the terrain can be, landslides and falling trees being frequent occurrences, while others blame a supernatural force.’”

“Supernatural force? How descriptive.” Keith cut in, rolling his eyes. 

“Hold on, it goes into more detail.” Lance replied, waving a dismissive hand at him. “‘There have been many reports of different bizarre phenomena happening throughout the forest. Some claim to have seen strange, organic lights floating off in the distance. Others say shadows move unnaturally, almost as if a person is darting between the trees.’ Shit, this place sounds like a nightmare…” 

“Pidge mentioned that you would hate it.”

“Well, they were right.” Lance replied, a slight squeak to his tone. “And I’m still not finished. ‘However, most claims that come out of this forest talk of a young girl. Some say they can hear the laugh of a girl. Others say they’ve actually seen the girl moving through the forest. Reports say she has blonde hair and is dressed in white. No one knows the identity of this girl.’”

“Hmm...Pidge mentioned something about a small window of opportunity. Can you find anything on that?” 

“Let’s see. One sec...” Lance trialed off as his fingers tapped at the screen. 

A silence stretched on in the car as Keith waited, fingers drumming mutely against the steering wheel. The sun had almost completely set, the sky bursting in striking shades of pinks and oranges. Keith would have found it calming if not for the thought of what waited for them at their destination. The tension in the car was heavy, almost suffocating; like some phantom hand was reaching out and squeezing his throat. 

There were a lot of things Keith wanted to say. A lot of things that he wanted to ask. A lot of things he wanted to apologize for. He wanted to know what Lance had gone through in the mansion. He had heard some stuff, but it was always general. Lance had never gone into detail, something that Keith assumed had always been for his benefit. But now he wondered if Lance had another reason for not talking about it. What had Lance experience? What kind of horrors had he seen? Had he walked away from the mansion with as many scars as Keith had? Or perhaps more?

Keith had always thought that pushing Lance out of that room had saved his life, had saved both of their lives. He had never considered the possibility that maybe he had simply made things worse by shoving everyone’s lives into Lance’s hands. That was so much pressure to put on one person. Had it broken Lance? Was that why it felt like he would lose him at any moment?

Is that where all of the guilt was coming from?

“Here we go.” Lance said, abruptly cutting into Keith’s train of thought. “‘While the strange ghost girl has been spotted year-round, reports claim that she appears most often during the month of June. No one knows why.’ Well, I guess that’s what Pidge meant by window of opportunity. It’s almost July.”

“I guess they weren’t lying about the whole ‘ghosts are seasonal thing’.” 

“I guess not...but why June? I mean, maybe like October I could understand. But June? Seems kinda random.”

Keith couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Maybe because it’s made up.”

“Made up? Who would make up something like that?” Lance asked, eyeing him disbelievingly. 

“I never said it was intentional.” Keith replied. “There’s gonna be more hikers in the summer. It’s warmer. A lot of people take vacations then. So obviously there’s gonna be more reports.”

“Seriously? That’s your reasoning?” Lance said with a scoff. “Then how do you explain all of them seeing the exact same girl, huh?”

“You know how people are.” Keith retorted. “One person starts yelling about some creepy girl in the woods and suddenly everyone wants to be a part of the fun.”

“Or counterpoint,” Lance said dryly. “They all saw the same creepy girl in the woods and you’re just too stubborn to admit that Alwater is haunted by some small child.”

“Not stubborn. Realistic.”

“Christ...I can’t fucking stand you sometimes.” Lance said, crossing his arms over his chest and letting out an angry huff. 

“Which is why you agreed to rent a house with me...and get a dog with me...and come with me to save our friends-”

“Okay! Shut up! You’ve made your point!” Lance yelled, shooting a glare at him. “Also the dog was my idea so...there!”

“Ah, yes. You’ve definitely won this one.” Keith said flatly, eyes not leaving the road. 

“Ya know, just because I like you and stuff doesn’t mean you’re not the biggest prick I know.” Lance spat at him, turning to look out his window angrily. 

“ _ Like  _ me? What are you? Some hormonal teenager who can’t admit his own feelings?” Keith asked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. 

“Nope.” Lance said, popping the ‘p’. “Only boyfriends who are nice to me get the ‘L’ word. It’s my new rule.” 

“Since when?”

“Since right now.”

“Good lord…” Keith muttered. “The only child we’re gonna find in that forest is you.”

Lance only huffed and continued to glare out the side window.

Despite his ever-building guilt towards Lance, Keith found that none stemmed from this conversation. Sure, he had riled Lance up. And sure, Lance would no doubt refuse to talk to him for the next hour. But for some reason, Keith felt refreshed. He felt like his old self. Confident. Practical. Level-headed. And he liked it. It felt natural. Easy. This was what life with Lance was supposed to feel like. He wasn’t supposed to feel like he was waiting for the end. 

Keith knew that the situation was bad. He knew that they had to act fast if there was any hope of finding their friends. He knew that he might not walk out of that forest once he walked in. But there was a small part of him buried way down deep that was grateful for this investigation just because it was making him feel more like himself than he had in a long time. 

And call him crazy, but he missed his old self.

The rest of the drive passed with seemingly no issues. The two switched drivers every couple of hours, the other sleeping in the back. Despite the overwhelming weight of what they were driving towards, Keith felt more rested than he had been in days. He was never asleep long enough for a nightmare to pop up, something that he was grateful for. He had forgotten what it was like to have a peaceful night. 

The landscape outside the car was steadily changing into rolling hills covered in tall, thick-trunked trees just as the sun had started to peek over the horizon. It had been an hour or so since they had left the highway. Now they were maneuvering through the hills by way of the various backroads that ran the perimeter of the forest. Keith saw no other cars on the road, something he attributed to the early hour. 

There was silence inside the car due in part to Lance still being asleep in the back. Keith was supposed to wake him an hour ago to switch, but instead had decided to let Lance sleep longer. It wasn’t that Keith was avoiding sleeping, but rather that every time Lance had woken him up, he looked ten times jumpier than when Keith had gone to sleep. The task in front of them was weighing on Lance, it was easy to see. And Keith imagined leaving the taller boy with his thoughts for hours on end probably wasn’t helping the situation. So in the end, Keith had decided to just let him sleep. It gave Lance less time to worry about what they would find in Alwater. 

Keith had kept his mind preoccupied during the drive by coming up with some sort of plan for once they got there. After all, it would be dumb to just walk in there blind. And what he had soon realized was that it all boiled down to getting information. They knew very little about what the team had done once they had arrived. 

Of course, he could guess. He knew the general routine and seriously doubted that it would change too drastically because he and Lance weren’t there. The first thing they would do was unload the van and start setting up base camp. That was always step one. So that was where Keith decided they would start their search. There they could hopefully find more information on where the team had decided to investigate. Alwater was huge, after all; there was no way he and Lance would find anyone if they didn’t have some point of reference. 

But that did leave Keith with the problem of actually finding their base camp. Normally, he would just look for the area with the most power, but this was the middle of the woods. There wouldn’t be any power. No doubt the team had brought the generators with them for this investigation. So really, the base camp could be anywhere. 

Keith sighed, resisting the urge to bang his head against the steering wheel. The more he thought about it, the harder this rescue mission seemed. He was sure that if Shiro were here he would say something about never giving up or the power of teamwork. And although Keith had always thought those sentiments always danced the line of being cheesy, he found that he could really use one of Shiro’s motivational speeches right now. 

“Man…” A sleepy voice said from the back seat. “What time is it?”

Keith glanced back over his shoulder briefly, seeing Lance sitting up, hands rubbing at his eyes. Keith wouldn’t say that Lance looked well-rested, knowing that that wasn’t a term most often associated with sleeping in a car, but he did look more stable. His shoulders didn’t seem as tense, his skin not as pale. But in all honesty, Keith didn’t think it would last that long. 

“A little before six.” Keith replied, eyes returning to the road. “We should be there soon.”

“Six?! You were supposed to wake me up at five!” Lance yelled, moving so he was leaning against the front passenger seat. “What the hell?”

“Just didn’t feel like pulling over.” Keith said with a shrug, hoping that Lance wouldn’t see through the lie. He had a feeling that pointing out how freaked out Lance had looked wouldn’t end too well. 

“So?” Lance replied, voice rising in pitch. “You still shoulda pulled over. Now you’re gonna be super tired all day.” 

“It was one hour.” Keith countered. “I think I’ll be just fine.”

“You say that now, but don’t whine to me when you wanna take a nap later.” Lance replied defiantly.

“Whine? When have I ever whined?”

“You know what I mean.” 

Keith didn’t respond, a small smile touching his lips. He wouldn’t say that Lance had woken up in a good mood, but it was an improvement compared to what he could be. He could be in full freak out mode, spouting ‘what if’s left and right. But he wasn’t. So Keith would take that as a win. 

“Hey…” Lance said, voice much softer than before. He had his arms wrapped around the headrest of the seat in front of him, cheek resting against the soft seat fabric. “Are you sure you’re up for this? I mean, the nightmares from our last run in with ghosts only stopped a few days ago…”

Keith could feel his stomach twist, knotting tighter and tighter with each word Lance said. Glancing over, Keith’s indigo eyes met bright blue ones and he was greeted by the same worry that he had tried so hard to get away from. And for whatever reason, it hurt so much more than before. Maybe it was because Lance believed the nightmares had stopped. Maybe it was because Keith had started to realize exactly how much Lance had been through at the mansion. Or maybe it was because no matter how hard Keith tried to be his old self, the new one kept breaking through. 

But in the end, it didn’t matter. It hurt all the same. 

“It’s a little late to be asking that question, don’t ya think?” Keith replied, trying to make his voice as steady as possible. 

“Maybe...but it’s just…” Lance paused, seeming to take a moment to collect his thoughts. “We don’t know what we’re gonna find in there. Ghost or no ghost, this place is probably going to dredge up a lot of memories that neither of us want to remember. I just wanna make sure you’re ready for that.”

Keith was silent for a moment, eyes scanning the scenery in front of them as he tried to form the thoughts in his head into words. Finally, he said, “I won’t lie and say that I’m looking forward to thinking about...anything that went down in that place. But I’m not about to turn my back on them. You all came for me. You guys risked your lives to get me out of there. How can I not return the favor?”

“I know, I know.” Lance replied, squeezing the headrest tighter. “But still…”

“It’s not like I’m going in there alone.” Keith said, doing his best to make his tone light. “We’re in this together, right? You’ve got my back, I’ve got yours?”

“True…” Lance said, sounding unconvinced. 

“Besides, it’s too late to back out now.” Keith added, nodding his head towards the front windshield. “I think we’re here.”

A few hundred feet down the road a sign stood on the side of the road, looking old and worn. It was made out of wood which was splintered on the end. At one time it looked like it could have been painted, but now all that was left was spots of yellow paint that vaguely read ‘Alwater Woods’ with an arrow pointing to the road that branched off from the current one they were on. This new road turned directly into the woods from what Keith could see. And as creepy as the whole setup looked, he knew it was only a precursor for what was to come. 

“Oh great. It’s so much more horrifying than I ever could have imagined.” Lance remarked flatly as Keith turned onto the much smaller road.

“At least there’s a road.” Keith said, although he wasn’t sure if it could really qualify as that. It was mostly made of dirt, various potholes littering the ground, causing the car to jostle and shake almost uncontrollably. Trees lined either side of it, branches stretching out over the road, scraping the top of their car every few seconds. The road winded and twisted further into the forest, making it so Keith couldn’t see more than fifty or so feet in front of them. 

“Are you sure this is the right entrance?” Lance asked, holding onto the seat in front of him tightly to steady himself. 

“It’s the  _ only  _ entrance.” Keith replied. “At least according to the internet. This road is supposed to lead to a small parking lot eventually. Hikers usually use it before heading off into the woods.” 

“Well if it’s the only one you’d think it’d be better taken care of.”

“I’ll make sure to mention that to the ranger right after we save her.” Keith replied dryly, rolling his eyes. 

“Ya know, I didn’t ask for you to be all sassy this morning.” Lance said, darkly. 

“There’s the parking lot.” Keith said as the car made its way around another bend. He could see that a few yards up the road the trees opened up, a small dirt lot coming into view. It seemed out of place, like the forest itself was rejecting the very existence of it. Keith estimated that it could probably fit no more than six cars and even that looked like it might be a tight fit. 

But what caught Keith’s attention more so than anything else, was the black van sitting off to one side of the dirt lot. 

“Well, I guess that settles that.” Keith said, pulling the car right up next to it. “They’re definitely in there somewhere.”

“Yeah.” Lance agreed, voice sounding slightly weaker. “We should check the van out. Just in case.”

Keith hummed in response as he shut off the car, eyes scanning the forest surrounding all sides of the lot. They were here. At Alwater. The place their entire team had gone missing. Great. Yeah. This was fine. He was fine. 

Probably…

Keith couldn’t quite place his finger on why, but he really didn’t want to step out of the car. It wasn’t like he felt like he was being watched or anything, but more of like he could sense that  _ something  _ was waiting for him. Like he had caught the attention of the forest. 

The trees looked like normal trees. In fact, the whole forest seemed like every other forest he had ever been to. Aside from the disappearance of his friends, there should be no reason why Keith was feeling as uneasy as he was. 

“Keith? You okay?” Lance asked, his door already halfway open. 

“What? Yeah.” Keith said, pulling his gaze away from the trees to look back at Lance’s worried expression, giving him a reassuring smile. “Totally fine. Let’s check the van out.” And with that Keith shoved off the chill that was spreading up his spine and stepped out of the car, leaving behind a Lance who was giving him a disbelieving look. 

The morning air was fresh, the scent of dew still hanging in the air from the previous night. He could hear the various sounds of the forest coming from all around him. Birds chirped from the canopy that surrounded the perimeter of the lot. The summer breeze jostled the leaves on the branches that seemed to stretch up towards the sky leisurely. The sun, newly risen, couldn’t yet be seen above him, but he could still feel the warmth of the rays that graced his skin. It wasn’t hard for him to imagine why people liked to hike through these woods. There was a certain peace to it that one didn’t usually find in more civilized society. 

But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the forest had been expecting him. 

“It’s probably locked.” Keith said as he approached the van, the dirt crunching softly beneath his shoes. 

“Probably.” Lance agreed, moving towards the drivers-side window and peering in. “And I gave my spare key back to Shiro after we retired.”

“You had a spare key?” Keith asked as he pulled at the handle of one of the doors to no avail. 

“Mhm.” Lance replied. “Shiro gave me one right after he joined the team. Said that if I ever felt overwhelmed, I had a safe place to retreat to.” 

“Oh…” Keith said, finding that that sounded exactly like something Shiro would do. “Did you ever use it?”

“Nope.” Lance said, moving towards the back of the van. “The closest I ever came was at the asylum...but we both know how  _ that _ turned out.”

“We do.” Keith replied, also moving towards the back where Lance was now pulling at the handle of the trunk doors. “Well, without a key I don’t think we’re gonna get this thing open.” 

“Damn…” Lance muttered as the trunk remained closed. “Well, that was a bust.”

“Not entirely.” Keith said. “We know that they’re not here. It’s not much, but it’s something.”

“Yeah...one spot down, fifty square miles to go.” Lance replied, unimpressed. 

“We won’t have to search the whole forest.” Keith pointed out. “We just have to search the areas they’ve been. With any luck we can figure out what happened to them.”

“Yeah but to do that we need Allura’s notebook.” Lance replied. 

“Which would be at the base camp, right?” 

“Probably. I doubt she’d take it with her.” 

“So that’s our first stop then.” Keith said, not mentioning that he had been planning that all along. “But it’s gonna be hard to find. It could be anywhere.” 

Lance was silent for a moment, brows furrowing in thought. “I don’t...think that’s necessarily true…”

“What do you mean?” 

“Like, think about it if you were in their shoes.” Lance said, turning to look at the tree line that was only a few feet away. “You have a bunch of heavy equipment plus a bunch of heavy power generators. Would you want to haul all of that stuff deep into the woods knowing you’d just have to haul it all back?”

“Probably not.” Keith admitted. “Especially not after spending the whole night on my feet.” 

“So then it makes sense that it wouldn’t be too far from the van, right?” Lance said. 

“Yeah, I guess. But we still have no idea which direction they went.” Keith replied, eyes scanning the perimeter of the lot. 

“Best guess. Probably that way.” Lance said, pointing to the tree line he was facing. 

“And you think that because…?” 

“Not to say that I’m some super cool tracker person, but I totally am.” Lance answered smugly. “There’s a ton of footprints heading into woods in this direction.” 

“Wait, what?” Keith asked, moving to Lance’s side. His gaze followed where Lance was pointing, eyes falling on the forest floor. And sure enough, he had been right. There were multiple imprints in the dirt, all of them of varying sizes. “Shit, you’re right.”

“But they were here days ago…” Lance said, voice losing some of its previous gusto. “They might not even be theirs.”

“It’s better than the nothing we had two minutes ago.” Keith said. “We should at least head that direction and see what we find.”

Lance nodded. “Yeah, okay. Gotta start somewhere I suppose.” 

As Keith turned to head back to the car, he chanced a glance at Lance. He looked worried, but that was to be expected. His blue eyes had turned stormy as he stared off into the thick foliage, no doubt playing out the worst case scenarios in his head. But there was more to him than just being worried. His shoulders were squared, posture just a little too straight. His jaw was clenched, hands bunched into fists. 

Again. Bravery. 

Keith took a deep breath as he made his way towards their car, trying to keep the fear creeping into his mind from affecting him. He knew that having a brave Lance around was far better than having a Lance who was cowering in fear at every sound. And if he wasn’t careful, he would turn into the one jumping at everything. The only way that everyone was going to make it out of this okay was if they were both calm and collected. He could manage that. Or at least, he was pretty sure he could. 

Keith popped the trunk when he got to the car. After they had left Adam’s, the pair had decided that they couldn’t just walk into the woods unprepared. They wouldn’t be helping anyone that way. So the two had made a few pit stops before leaving the city. Food. Water. First Aid Kit. Knife. Rope. Flashlight. And a few other various items that could come in handy while trekking through a forest. Keith picked up one of the backpacks packed with supplies and slung it over his shoulders, quickly grabbing the other one for Lance before closing the trunk. 

“For you.” Keith said as he approached Lance who hadn’t moved from his spot, handing over the bag to him. 

“Hm? Oh, thanks.” Lance said, taking it from him and sliding his arms through the straps. “Ready?”

“Is it weird for me to say no?” Keith said, looking up at the trees a few feet in front of him. They looked the same as before. They weren’t creepy like the asylum had been nor were they oppressive like the mansion. They were just trees. But even so, Keith still felt uneasy. He wondered briefly if this was what Lance had meant about places feeling off.

“For you? Yes. That’s very weird.” Lance replied, giving him a puzzled look. “What happened to the stupid-brave-to-a-fault Keith I know and love?”

Keith did his best to ignore the way his heart seized up, anxiety clawing at his insides. He didn’t have time to think about what Lance had meant by that. He could do that after everyone was miles away from Alwater. 

Keith rolled his shoulders and stood up straighter, his expression turning fierce. “He never left. Let’s go.” 

He didn’t wait for Lance to reply, instead heading towards the tree line. His steps didn’t falter as he entered the shade of the forest, following the path of the footsteps deeper into the underbrush. The forest floor was littered with fallen branches and protruding roots that he had to maneuver around. The breeze that had been present back at the lot was now gone, something he attributed to being under the cover of the canopy. He could hear Lance’s soft footsteps a few feet behind him which he found comforting. There was some sort of sense of security knowing that someone had his back. His eyes scanned his surroundings. He could only see twenty or so feet in any direction, the large trees obscuring his view. Still, he kept an eye out for any sign of a base camp.

An anticipation had started to course through his veins, mixing with the ever-present funny feeling he got from the forest. There was an urgency to his steps, a quickness to his pace fueled by his desire to find his friends and his desire to get out of Alwater. It wasn’t even that he thought there was some malicious spirit hanging around these woods, waiting for the wayward hiker to appear. It was more so that  _ anything  _ could be out here. Usually the places they went to were closed off from the general public - abandoned asylums, old prisons, the occasional bar - but out here they were exposed. The possibility of some deranged psycho living in these woods had not escaped his mind. 

Of course, he would never mention something like that to Lance. There was no use giving him more things to fear. The last thing he needed was one of Lance’s major meltdowns. 

“I bet all of the equipment’s dead.” Lance said from behind him. “Or at least, the stuff connected to the generators.” 

“Also the static cams. Their batteries only last like eight hours.” Keith added. “I don’t think they’ll be of much use.” 

“So what? That leaves us with no static cams and no audio?”

“And no chargers.” Keith said, stepping over a large root that was in his path. “Once batteries start running out, we’ll be in trouble.” 

“It’s not like we’re going to be recording or anything, though.” Lance replied as he followed Keith. 

Keith shrugged. “True. But it’ll probably be useful to look at anything that’s already recorded. Could give us a clue on what happened.”

Lance let out an amused snort. “We’re in a real life found footage movie. How fucked up is that?” 

“We haven’t actually found any footage yet.” Keith pointed out. 

“‘Yet’ being the keyword there.” Lance replied. “We will eventually. I have a feeling Alwater has a lot in store for us.”

“Getting one of your weird vibes?” Keith asked amusedly.

“Strangely, no.” Lance said matter-of-factly. “Which just makes this place more suspicious in my book.” 

“Oh, please explain that logic to me.” Keith said, chuckling softly. 

“Well I mean, we  _ know  _ that this place is haunted-”

“We don’t know that at all.”

“-and some super powerful ghost girl did  _ something  _ to our entire team-”

“We also don’t know that.”

“-and so by all rights I should be getting some pretty terrifying vibes from this place. But I’m not. Which just doesn’t make sense.” 

“Or.” Keith said, glancing back over his shoulder at the brown-haired boy. “Something totally non-ghost related happened to our team.”

“Like what?” Lance asked challengingly. 

“Like getting lost. This forest is huge after all.” Keith replied. “Or maybe they’re trapped somewhere.”

“You’re scrambling.” Lance said smugly. 

“Am not.” Keith replied, rolling his eyes. “Those are both very real possibilities.” 

“Keep telling yourself that, Kogane. It’ll only make it that much sweeter when I’m right.” 

“I’m sorry, I’m confused.” Keith said, chuckling again at Lance’s dramatics. “Do you  _ want _ our friends to be taken by a ghost?” 

“No! Of course not!” Lance yelled, voice echoing off into the dense forest. “That’s not-I didn’t mean-ugh! You know what I meant!” 

Keith only laughed and shook his head, continuing to follow the path of footprints deeper into the woods. The pair traveled in silence for another few minutes. While the sounds of the forest could be heard from all direction, none of it was loud enough to disrupt the comfortable quiet that existed between the two. 

But they were in an uninhabited forest, looking for their missing teammates. So how long could something like that really last?

“What was-Fuck! Keith, hold up!” Lance whispered loudly, jogging up beside him and pulling at his arm, forcing him to stop moving. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Keith asked, giving him a confused look but not trying to break from his grasp. 

“Shut up for a second.” Lance whispered, not even looking at him. Instead his eyes were focused to the left of them, face set in an intense expression. “I thought I just heard something. Sounded like someone was moving around…”

Keith did as he was told, gaze scanning the surrounding trees and ears straining for any out of place sound. His heartbeat started to accelerate as his anticipation came to a head. All the muscles in his body seemed to tense up at once, ready to snap at the first sign of trouble. He tried to keep his breathing low, but it was hard when it felt like he was suffocating from the air that had suddenly turned heavy.

Looking around, the forest had changed. The trees seemed taller, the branches more twisted. It was like they were looming over them, trying to trap them in. The air felt much colder...deader. Like it had simply stopped moving all together. Everything had grown darker. The shade turning into shadows that were jagged and uncanny. 

It was as if Alwater had turned into a completely different place. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith saw a dark figure move, its form moving behind a tree before he could get a good look at it. Keith found himself jumping slightly, taking an involuntary step backwards as he did. He could feel Lance’s grip on his arm tighten, a small whimper coming from the brown-haired-boy. 

“I saw something…” Keith breathed out, trying to make his voice as quiet as possible. “Over there.” He pointed in the direction of the tree the figure had darted behind. 

“A ghost?” Lance asked quietly, voice shaking. 

“I...don’t know.” Keith replied, taking another step back, Lance following his lead. 

“We just got here…” Lance whined softly. “We can’t die yet.”

“Do _ not _ start that!” Keith whispered harshly. “You’ll just freak yourself-”

_ \- snap - _

Both of them froze at the sound, staring wide-eyed at the tree Keith had just pointed to. There was no doubt that the sound had come from over there. 

“Okay, something is definitely over there…” Lance whispered. “And it totally wants to kill us.” 

“You don’t know that.” Keith whispered back, but there was no strength to his voice. 

“Of course I do! All ghosts want to kill us.”

“It might not even  _ be  _ a ghost.” Keith countered. 

“Might not…? Okay, Mr. Skeptic. Prove that it’s not a ghost.” 

Keith would have rolled his eyes if he dared to look away from the tree. Instead he just swallowed hard and said, “Fine, I will.” His voice sounded a lot steadier than he felt. 

Slowly so as not to make any noise, Keith crouched down, Lance’s grip on his arm disappearing. He could practically hear his heartbeat ramming against his ribs, the sound too loud in the stillness of the forest around them. Despite Lance’s presence, Keith felt exposed. Like at any minute something could creep up behind him and catch him aware. And no matter how much his rational side kept telling him that it was probably nothing, that he had only just thought he saw something, he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking as he felt around on the dirt floor. 

He didn’t dare take his eyes off the tree as he searched blindly for what he was looking for. He couldn’t bring himself to risk it. But finally after a few long moments, his fingers brushed against smooth stone. He grabbed the rock slowly, grateful that he found one with some weight to it, and stood back up. 

“What are you gonna do with that?” Lance whispered, sounding terrified. “Beat the ghost to death?” 

“What? No!” Keith whispered back, giving him a confused look. “I’m just gonna…”

Keith trailed off as readied his aim, taking one more step back and pulling back his arm. He took a moment, shifting the rock in his hand until he felt like he had a good enough grip on it. He took one last deep breath to steady his aim and then he swung his arm, throwing the rock as hard as he could at the tree. The pair watched as it sailed through the air the twenty or so feet before hitting the tree, some of the looser bark falling to the ground at the impact. 

Both boys let out yelps as something darted from around the tree, moving faster than any human would. Keith felt his heart stop as it moved farther back into the trees, seeming to zigzag its way through the underbrush. The four-legged entity…

Wait…

“Four legs?” Keith muttered, staring after the retreating figure, seeming to notice the brown fur and long legs for the first time. 

“A...deer?” Lance asked, completely dumbfounded. 

Keith felt all of the fear drain from his body all at once, only to be replaced by an irritation that made him want to ram his head against the nearest tree. The forest around him seemed to turn back into the peaceful, warm place that it had been in an instant and it only took Keith a moment to realize that it had never changed in the first place. 

“A. Fucking. Deer.” Keith grumbled, a dark laugh accompanying it. “Who would’ve fucking thought that a deer would be in a forest? What an insane idea.”

“Hey, it  _ could’ve  _ been a ghost.” Lance said defensively. “I was just being careful…”

“No, you were freaking out over nothing.” Keith shot back at him, words clipped. “We really don’t have time to have a meltdown over every little thing that moves out here.” 

“Sure, let your guard down.” Lance said, tone just as sharp. “That’s how you get hurt. Or did you forget what happened at the mansion?”

“Why does everyone keep bringing that up?” Keith replied, glaring at the taller boy. “ _ Yes _ , I remember. Got two scars that keep me from forgetting. But we’re never gonna find them if we don’t take a few risks. You  _ know  _ that.”

Lance was silent for a moment, gaze dropping to the ground between them. Keith could see him debating something in his head, no doubt his need to protect Keith and his need to find their friends clashing. Finally after a few moments, he said, “You’re right. I overreacted. Sorry…”

Keith sighed, a twinge of guilt hitting him as he looked at the apologetic expression on Lance’s face. “Don’t apologize...I wasn’t exactly the definition of ‘calm’ either.”

“True…” Lance replied, giving him a smirk. “I’m pretty sure you were shaking.”

“I was what?” Keith said, probably too quickly. “I was  _ not  _ shaking. I might’ve been  _ tense,  _ but I don’t shake.”

“Okay, sure.” Lance said amusedly. “Whatever you say.”

“Shut up.” Keith muttered, turning back to the path they had been following. “Let’s just find the stupid base camp.”

“Right behind you.” Lance replied in a sing-song voice. 

Keith only grunted as he started making his way through the forest again, keeping an eye on the footprints so as not to lose them. He imagined that it couldn’t be too much further since they had been walking for the better part of fifteen minutes. That was, of course, if they had been right in their assumption that the base camp wouldn’t be too far away from the van. They could be going in the wrong direction for all they knew. Maybe they were just wasting time following some random set of footprints. Maybe-

“A video camera.” Keith said, stopping in his tracks, breath coming out raggedy. 

“What?” Lance asked, stopping behind him. 

“Over here.” Keith said, forcing his legs to move further up the path to where a small silver handheld camera was laying amongst the weeds that sprouted up from the ground. It was covered in dirt, Keith only having spotted it due to the rouge ray of sunlight breaking through the canopy and hitting the small device. It looked like it had been there for a few days, being covered in a few leaves that had fallen from the trees overhead. 

“That’s one of ours.” Lance said, voice weak as he too spotted the camera. “For sure.” 

“But what’s it doing here?” Keith asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer to that question. 

“Someone must’ve dropped it.” Lance said, crouching down to pick the camera up, brushing some of the dirt from its surface as he did. “But I doubt it was on purpose.”

“Does it still work?” Keith asked, looking over Lance’s shoulder. “Try turning it on.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Lance said as he pressed the power button, a small beep sounding from the device. “Well, at least we know it’s not completely busted.”

The two waited in silence as the device booted up, Keith half expecting it to die at any second. He could feel the anticipation building in him again as he waited. This was it. This was their first clue. This was the next step to finding out what happened to his team. Whatever was recorded, whatever came next - they would deal with it and find their friends. 

“Here we go.” Lance said as the screen flickered to life. “It’s still got a decent amount of battery...that’s kinda surprising.” 

“We can probably thank Pidge for that. The must’ve upgraded the battery life.” Keith replied. “See if anything’s recorded.” 

“On it.” Lance said, pressing a few buttons. “Looks like there’s only like one clip. It’s only, like, a minute long.” 

“Play it. It could have important info.”

“You got it.” Lance replied, pressing the play button. 

.-_*~#-_@_-.

Pidge pushed their legs harder, feet pounding loudly against the dirt ground. Their breaths came out in pants, the stale, cold air around them painful to breathe in. Their heart was racing a mile a minute, sweat pouring down their face. They were tired. They wanted nothing more than to lie down in a comfy bed and sleep. But they knew that stopping would be a bad idea. They had no idea where it was. It could be right behind them for all they knew. 

They had passed the base camp only moments ago, grabbing one of the unused handhelds on their way. They had no idea if they would make it back to the van. In fact, they were almost sure they wouldn’t if the wailing sound behind them had anything to say about it. But they didn’t go down that easily. No way. 

“I don’t...know who’s watching...this.” Pidge said into the camera as they ran, words coming out between pants. “But you have...to listen to me.”

Behind them they could hear the wailing growing louder, but they didn’t dare look behind them. They knew what they would see if they did. Instead, they just kept talking. 

“There’s something...out here...it’s been...hunting us...took everyone. I’m the...only one left…”

An impossibly strong wind started to pick up, tearing at Pidge’s clothes and threatening to send them falling onto the jagged roots that stuck up out of the ground. They grit their teeth and pushed against it, ignoring how the cold seemed to be digging into their skin. 

“Please...get help...she’s coming…”

Pidge felt their foot catch, a yelp coming from their mouth as they tumbled to the ground, camera flying from their hand. They felt a snap in their wrist as they attempted to break their fall, white hot pain shooting up their arm. Tears came to their eyes as they rolled over, the weight of the night seeming to crash down on them all at once. 

Another scream escaped their lips as they spotted the figure they had been running from since Allura was taken. They felt the fear that they had been trying to keep at bay start to flood their mind, clouding any rational thought. Their limbs froze up, eyes going wide as they watched the figure approach them, red eyes boring into them and smile far too wide to hold anything but malice. 

“It’s been checkmate for a while, my little rook.” The sickeningly sweet voice said to them. “Why are you still running?” 

.-_*~#-_@_-.

The camera went black, the clip coming to an end. 

Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them dared to even breathe. 

Keith felt like he had just been punched in the gut repeatedly. He didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know what to  _ do _ .

The only thing he could do was say the only word that kept repeating in his mind. 

“Fuck.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! This idea was actually given to me all the way back in part 2 by anon user J+M. I absolutely loved their idea and have been sitting on it for the past like six months. So if they're reading this, thank you. You're awesome.  
> As you may have noticed, this is only part 1 of the story. Part 2 (which will technically be part 5 to this series) will be out in a couple of weeks. This arc was just too big to fit into one part. There's a lot of spooks coming soon so stay tuned for that. You can do so by following me on tumblr [@wingsofvoltron](https://wingsofvoltron.tumblr.com/) There you'll be able to see updates as well as sneak peeks. Also, there's just a lot of Klance content in general.  
> Any and all feedback you are willing able to give is greatly appreciated.  
> Stay safe and I'll see ya next time,  
> ~Redjay


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